Fluid Pump Test Bench Cooling Circuit Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing test stands for fluid pumps and injectors face challenges in maintaining consistent fluid temperature, leading to temperature fluctuations that can affect the accuracy of high-pressure fuel pump and injector testing, particularly in varying environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
A test stand with a tank and dual cooling circuits, where a first cooling circuit uses a heat exchanger to cool fluid before it reaches the pump, and a second cooling circuit with a coolant pump and valve adjusts coolant flow to maintain consistent tank fluid temperature, combined with a heater for precise temperature control, reduces temperature fluctuations and allows for a smaller heat exchanger.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional heat exchanger is used to cool fluid immediately before the fluid injection pump, then the fluid temperature can be controlled, but the heat exchanger must be large in size to maintain temperature stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by cooling the fluid in advance within the tank before it reaches the pump. The first cooling circuit cools the fluid proactively in the tank rather than reactively at the pump inlet, allowing the fluid to arrive at the pump already at the desired temperature. This eliminates the need for a large heat exchanger at the pump inlet, as the smaller second heat exchanger only needs to handle minor temperature adjustments.
2Measurement precision
If fluid is cooled in a conventional setup before the pump, then temperature control is achieved, but temperature fluctuations affect testing accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control through temperature sensors that continuously monitor the fluid temperature in the tank and pump inlet. The control unit receives temperature signals from these sensors and adjusts the operation of the first and second cooling circuits accordingly. This closed-loop feedback system detects temperature deviations and automatically corrects them, ensuring stable fluid temperature during testing and eliminating temperature fluctuations that would otherwise affect measurement precision.
3Reliability
If a large heat exchanger is used to ensure temperature stability, then temperature control quality is maintained, but manufacturing costs and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cooling function into two separate cooling circuits with two smaller heat exchangers rather than using one large heat exchanger. The first cooling circuit handles the primary cooling load in the tank, while the second cooling circuit provides fine-tuned temperature control at the pump inlet. This segmentation allows each heat exchanger to be smaller and less expensive, while together they maintain the same or better temperature control quality compared to a single large heat exchanger.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration provides improved temperature stability for fluid pumps and injectors, reduces manufacturing costs and space requirements, and allows for efficient and precise temperature control, ensuring consistent fluid temperature with a 50% smaller heat exchanger volume compared to conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger (16), which is suitable for cooling the fluid drawn from the tank (4)
Implementation Method 2
The thermal energy E=m*c*T of the test fluid stored in the tank (4) is significantly greater than the thermal energy of the volume flow through the heat exchanger (16)
Implementation Method 3
a second cooling circuit (20), which is connected to the heat exchanger (16) and which is designed to cool the fluid flowing through the heat exchanger (16)
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A test bench (2) for testing a fluid injection pump (8) and/or a fluid injector (10) has an apparatus for conditioning a test fluid which is used for testing. The apparatus has a tank (4) which is configured for receiving and storing the test fluid, a first fluid removal line (6) which is configured for removing test fluid from the tank (4) and feeding it to the fluid injection pump (8), and a cooling circuit (12) for cooling the test fluid which is stored in the tank (4). The cooling circuit (12) has a second fluid removal line (14) and a return line (18). The fluid removal line (14) is configured for removing test fluid from the tank (4) and is connected to a heat exchanger (16) which is configured for cooling the test fluid which is removed from the tank (4). The return line (18) is connected to the heat exchanger (16) and is configured to guide the test fluid out of the heat exchanger (16) back into the tank (4).